Banjo mute



B. A. STALLQNE BANJD MUTE 2 Sheefs-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 23, 1930 7 1 5 z m m 7 l M o i f fi a O 1 O M 0 M M l 2 5 o a H 4 L m MW 4 Z, 5. vflKJI I lu I 5 Z Z A. In Z x J 0 I Z 2 0 4 Z 9 0 I a 3/ 5 z 1 w% A I v 0/ 7 0 W 2 l1 L l a o 7w 2 o 1 0 21:: l V

June 16, 1931. STALLONE 1,810,259

BANJO MUTE Filed Jan. 23 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ag a.

Patented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES BARNEY A. STALLONE, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON BANJO MUTE Application filed January 23, 1930. Serial No. 422,821. s

This invention aims to provide a novel mute for a banjo, to provide novel means for mounting the mute, to supply novel means for operating it, and, generally, to

improve devices of the type described, it being understood that a musical instrument maker, working within the scope of what is claimed, may depart from the precise form shown, without violating the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 shows in bottom plan, a banjo carrying the invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation; Figure 3 is a side elevation; Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

The numeral 1 marks a rim, and the neck appears at 2, the numeral 3 marking the dowel stick which is prolonged across: .the rim 1. The head 4 is stretched over the rim 1 and is engaged with an anchor ring 5 that is pressed down by a clamping ring 6 engaged by tension members 7 8 and 9, slidable in brackets 10 on the rim 1, and drawn down by nuts 11 threaded on the tension members and cooperating with the brackets. These parts are common banjo elements, and no novelty is claimed for them, saving insofar as they may enter into combination with parts hereinafter described.

A slotted yoke 12 is held by certain of the nuts 11 on the tension members 7, in engagement with the corresponding brackets 10, A fulcrum pin 14 is held by nuts 15 and 16 in the yoke 12, and an operating memberin the form of a curved arm rest 18 is pivoted near one end, as shown at 17 to the fulcrum pin 14. or operating member 18 is pivoted at 19 to a 4 tube 20 slidable in a yoke 21 which is mounted on the tension members Sand held against the corresponding brackets 10 by certain of the nuts 11.

A nut 22 is threaded on the tube 20 and compresses the slit end of the tube or plunger 20 on a pin 23 that slides for adjustment in the tube 20, the parts 20 and 23 constituting a longitudinally adjustable connection.

The pin 23 bears against the outer end of a lever 24 fulcrumed intermediate its ends Near to its opposite end, the arm rest,

at 25 on a support or clamp 26 carried by the dowel stick 3. The inner end of the lever 24 bears against a plunger 27 slidable in a guide 28 on a clamp 29 secured to the dowel stick 3. f The plunger 27 is pivotally connected at 30 5 with a spring arm 31 secured by a clamp 32 to the dowel stick 3. A bar 33 is secured to the spring arm 31 andcarries a piece of felt or the like, marked by the numeral 34, and V 7 adapted to bear against the head 4, the parts 0 and 34 forming a mute. j

The operator presses on the arm rest 18, the arm rest swings on its fulcrum 17, the connection 2123 is slid longitudinally, the lever 24 is tilted on its fulcrum 25, and the g5 mute 33-34 is pressed against the head 4 of the banjo.

When the pressure on the arm rest 18 is relieved, the spring 31 spaces the mute 3334 from the head 4, as shown in Figure 4.

The device described is simple, not likely to get out of order, facile in operation, and capable of being attached to a standard make of banjo without changing the banjo or doing any structural mechanical work on it.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a banjo comprising a head, and a rim, of an arm rest curved to extend along the upper edge of the rim, a mute within the rim and cooperating with 39 the head, and an operative connection between the arm rest and the mute.

2. In a banjo comprising a rim, a head, brackets on the rim, and tension members for the head and mounted in the brackets; a

'mute co-operating with the head, actuating mechanism for the mute, said mechanism embodying an arm rest and a plunger operatively connected to the arm rest, means held on one of the brackets by one of the tension members for mounting the arm rest movable, and means held on another of the brackets by the corresponding tension member for guiding the plunger.

3. In a banjo comprising a rim, a head, a bracket on the rim, and a tension member for the head and mounted on the rim; a mute co-operating with the head, and mechanism for actuating the mute, a portion of said 10a mechanism being held on the bracket by the tension member.

4. The combination with a banjo embodying a head and a rim, of a mute cooperating with the head, and mechanism for actuating the mute, said mechanism embodying a member en gageable by the arm of the player and extended laterally and outwardly to a point beyond the perimeter of the rim.

5. The combination with a banjo embodying a head and a rim, of a mute cooperating with the head, and mechanism for actuating the mute, said mechanism en'ibodying a member engageable by a player, said member extending along the upper edge of the rim and being of suflicicnt length to serve as an arm rest.

The combination with a banjo embodying a head and a rim, of a mute cooperating with the head, a member engageable by a player and extended along the upper edge of the rim, means for supporting said member pivotally adjacent to one of its ends on the rim, and means for connecting said member operatively with the mute, said means being pivoted to said member adjacent to the other end thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

BARNEY A. STALLONE. 

